Key moment: On the 49ers' first offensive play, Packers linebacker Wayne Simmons hammered fullback Adam Walker on a screen pass that resulted in a fumble that Craig Newsome returned 31 yards for a touchdown. The Packers rode that momentum to a 21-0 lead and never looked back.

The hero: NFL MVP Brett Favre completed 21 of 28 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns, without any interceptions and being sacked only once.

Quotable: "When you are up, 21-0, to somebody else, it is great," Packers tight end Keith Jackson said. "But when you are up 21-0 against the 49ers, you get nervous. You start saying, 'Let that clock roll, let that clock roll. ... ' "

Packers 35, 49ers 14

NFC divisional playoff

Jan. 4, 1997, Lambeau Field

Key moment: Desmond Howard returned a punt 71 yards for a touchdown to start the Packers scoring on a day in which offense was at a premium -- the teams combined for 406 yards -- because of rain, sleet and snow.

The hero: Howard added a 46-yard punt return to the 49ers' 7-yard line to set up the Packers' second touchdown.

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Quotable: "He took them right out of the game when he took their initial punt for a touchdown," Packers general manager Ron Wolf said of Howard. "The next time he touches the ball, we go in again. It's 14-0, and we've got 9 yards in total offense."

Packers 23, 49ers 10

NFC Championship game

Jan. 11, 1998, Candlestick Park

Key moment: Packers safety Eugene Robinson intercepted Steve Young and returned the ball 58 yards to the 49ers 28-yard line. The Packers scored a touchdown two plays later for a 10-0 lead.

The hero: Packers running back Dorsey Levens rushed for 114 yards in becoming the first player to hit the 100-yard mark against the 49ers all season.

Quotable: "We felt the pressure to repeat,'' said Robinson of the Packers advancing to the Super Bowl after winning it the previous season. "The entire season was pressure- packed. We had a lot to prove, but we kept our cohesion. Last year was a storied season, but this team is going to be judged strictly by what we do in the Super Bowl."

49ers 30, Packers 27

NFC wild-card playoff

Jan. 3, 1999, Candlestick Park

Key moment: Young connected with wide receiver Terrell Owens on a 25-yard pass for a touchdown with 3 seconds left in one of the more memorable games in 49ers history. Young slipped and almost fell as he dropped back, righted himself, then delivered a strike to Owens a split second before several Packers defenders hammered Owens in the end zone.

The hero: Young overcame an up-and-down game -- 17 of 31 for 157 yards and two interceptions before the final pass -- to play a key role on the biggest play of the game.

Quotable: "I just looked at the clock, and it was ticking, ticking, ticking," Owens said. "I wanted to beat Green Bay so bad. Anytime there's a chance for me to get the ball over the middle, I'm tough enough to take it. I was just happy that I caught the ball. I had a rough day. I let the team down in the beginning, but they all encouraged me to keep my head up."

Packers 25, 49ers 15

NFC wild-card playoff

Jan. 13, 2002, Lambeau Field

Key moment: At halftime, Favre pleaded with his coaches to open up the offense. Favre responded by passing for 226 of his 269 yards in the second half and directing four scoring drives against the 49ers.

The hero: Defensive back Tyrone Williams intercepted a Jeff Garcia pass at the Packers 7-yard line in the fourth quarter. The Packers marched 93 yards for a game-clinching touchdown on their ensuing possession.

Quotable: "It's do-or-die in the playoffs," Favre said. "I don't ever want to look back and say we left something on the field. That was my stance at halftime. ... I said, 'Let's go get them. Lay it on the field.' When you come off the field, don't ever look back and say, 'We should have taken some chances,' or 'We should have done this or done that.' "